The 5-3 record isn’t what Baker Mayfield or any Browns players wanted at the halfway point of the season, but it’s important to give the record some perspective. Through the first eight weeks of the 2020 season, that 5-3 record still qualifies the Cleveland Browns for the postseason.
The Browns hold the No. 7 seed in the AFC after losing 16-6 to the Las Vegas Raiders. At 4-3, the Raiders and Miami Dolphins are in hot pursuit of the banged-up Browns, who now get a week off to lick their wounds and regroup after losing two of their last three games.
Cleveland is a half-game behind the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens in the chase to move up the ladder. Both are 5-2 and have already had their bye weeks. The Browns do own the head-to-head tiebreak with the Colts and get another crack at the Ravens in Week 14.
Here’s the full AFC playoff picture through Week 8 from the NFL’s communications page. Monday night’s game only impacts the NFC:
